Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Elevation of Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi as Judges of SC

On August 25, 2025 (Monday), the Supreme Court (SC) Collegium recommended the elevation of Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and Chief Justice of Patna High Court, respectively, as judges of the Supreme Court. The resolution was passed by the SC Collegium comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice JK Maheshwari, Justice Vikram Nath, and Justice BV Nagarathna.

Justice Alok Aradhe was appointed as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 29, 2009. Furthermore, he was appointed as a judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in 2016. Later in 2018, he was transferred to the Karnataka High Court, where he served as a judge for almost five years and as Acting Chief Justice for three months. On July 23, 2023, he was appointed as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, and then he was transferred to the Bombay High Court to serve as Chief Justice on January 21, 2025.

Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, in October 2014, was appointed as a judge of the Gujarat High Court. Later, in 2023, he was appointed as a judge of the Patna High Court. Furthermore, the SC Collegium, in 2025, recommended him for elevation as Chief Justice of Patna High Court. 

The SC Collegium recommended their names for elevation as SC judges after noting their dedication to work and delivering justice. The resolution reads, “The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 25th August, 2025 has recommended elevation of the following Chief Justices of the High Courts, as Judges in the Supreme Court:

• Mr. Justice Alok Aradhe, Chief Justice, High Court of Bombay (PHC: High Court of Madhya Pradesh)
• Mr. Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, Chief Justice, High Court of Judicature at Patna, (PHC: High Court of Gujarat)”